Egbert blagklidge



UNITED STATES VPATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT BLACKLIDGE, OF ENFIELD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF OF HIS RIGHT TO HIMSELF AND ONE-HALF TO ALBERT J. BATTLES AND GEORGE WILCOX, TRUSTEES OF THE CHURCH FAMILY OF SHAKERS, OF

SAME PLACE.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DESTROYING FIRE-DAMP IN MINES.

`i SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 232,443, dated september ai, Isso.

Application lcd May 21, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ROBERT BLAGKLIDGE, of Enfield, in the county ot Hartford and State ot' Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Method and Apparatus for Destroying FireDamp in Mines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

When nre-damp or carbureted hydrogen has accumulated in large quantities in a mine it has been the custom heretofore to vacate the mine and tire the gas. This process is ordinarily attended with great danger, and I have found that the gas, when lighted, will, in most cases where the gas is heavy, first burn slowly, and as the flame increases in volume the gas will become highly heated from contact therewith, and, being driven into a confined space, Will be caused to explode with great violence, and will destroy the timberin g of the mine and choke up its passages with dbris, which will render them inoperative and oftentimes result in the loss of life, This dangerldesiretoover come by the employment of a great number of separate ash torches or rockets, that are to be distributed over the mine in various places, Wherever the gas maybe accumulated, and that maybe lighted at such points simultaneously or in quick succession, so that the gas will be lighted at a new point before the llame from the first pointlighted shall have reached the second point. By this means the gas may be ignited at the farthest point from the pits mouth tirst and carry the gas-name, afterdamp, and smoke forward toward the mouth of the pit or the nearest draft-outlet, Where the greater part of the poisonous gases of combustion and the gases remaining unconsulned will escape with the draft harmlessly.

The accompanying drawing represents a per spective View of a rocket constructed according to my invention, in which alath or strip of wood, A, of sufficient length to extend from the floor to the roof of the mine, or nearly thereto, has secured to its upper end a piece of fuse,B, saturated with nitrate of potash, and of snfticient length to burn from one end nearly to the other Within a period of time sufficient to enable the man who fires it to escape to a place of safety in a well-known manner.

The upper end ot' the fuse is wrapped around the head of a match, C, preferably formed of inilammable material other than sulphur, such as the parlor-match of commerce, which will become ignited with a quick ash otame and will not throw off fumes ot' sulphur when lighted. The fuse and match are secured to the end of t-he wooden strip by means of carpet-tacks, or

in any convenient manner. The bright ash caused bythe ignition of the splint-match Will quickly light the {ire-damp; and as very many of the rockets are employed the use of sulphurtipped matches should be avoided, as the fumes of the sulphur from many matches Would vitiate the air and could not be readily freed from the mine.

In operation, when the mine shall have become poisoned with gas, and it is proposed to have a clean up,7 the foreman dispatches a num her of men each with a quantity of rockets to properly-dispose of Where the gasV is collected. The rockets, by means of their sticks, may be propped against the walls, so that the fuse and splint-match will be held close to the hanging wall or root' of the mine. The rockets nearest the face of the mine are irst lighted by means ot'awire heated by passing it through the gauze of a Davy lamp, and the rockets are lighted in regular succession as the collier retreats to the mouth of the pit. The gas will thus be rapidly consumed by many llames before it can be heated and rareed to an exploding temperature.

The fuses may be so timed that they Will light the matches at suitable intervals, and when sufficient time has elapsed for the men to escape to a place of safety.

My experience in burning and destroying lire-damp in mines is that the gas is, in most cases, heavy and slow to burn, and When lighted will burn at the rate of about twenty-live feet in a minute, so'that ample time Will be given for it to be fairly lighted at dierent points to be consumed in separate flames.

It is considered best to so time the fuses that they will ignite the gas at different points sue cessively at suchintervals of time that the volumes of gas ignited from one place shall fairly start in motion toward the pits mouth or the natural draft-outlet of the mine before the next succeeding match is lighted 5 and I have found the iiame, unconsumed gas, and products of combustion will by this simple means be started in motion toward the pits mouth, or in the direction of the draft-outlet ot' the mine7 Where the greater portion of it will harmlessly escape. The remaining noxious gases may then be absorbed and driven oftl by the natural drafts ot' pure air through the mine.

I do not claim, broadly, the method of lighting gas in mines at one or more places by mechanism and devices arranged to lire the damp within sucient time after they have been started to enable the miners to escape to a place of safety, as various mechanical con-triv ances operated by electricity, clock-Work, cords, and rockets caused to travel from one part ofthe mine to another over wires, Src., as shown in the English Patents No. 2,727 ot' 1857 and No.

v3,091 of 1869 have been heretofore devised to accomplish the aforesaid purpose.

What I claim as new isl. The method herein described of destroying fire-dam p in mines by means of flash torches or rockets located at numerous places through the channels ot' the mine and flashed by fuses at such intervals that the gas may be lighted at different places successively or at nearly the same time from the most remote parts ot' the mine toward theipits mouth or draft-opening, substantially as described.

2. The flash torch or rocket herein described, consisting of a wooden strip, to one end otfwhich is attached a splint-match and fuse connected with each other, to be placed and supportedin the required position in the mine, substantially i as described.

ROBERT BLAOKLIDGE.

Witnesses:

SoLoN (l. KEMoN, GHAs. A. PETTIT. 

